Leeward Islands cricket team

).

The list of prominent cricketers who have played for Leeward Islands includes Curtly Ambrose, Keith Arthurton, Kenny Benjamin, Winston Benjamin, Ridley Jacobs, Derick Parry, Viv Richards, Richie Richardson, Andy Roberts and Stuart Williams.

The Leeward Islands played their inaugural first-class game in 1958, and lost by an innings and 19 runs to Jamaica. However, their first win did not come until 1968-69, when they beat Guyana by 43 runs at the Warner Park Sporting Complex ground. From 1965-66 to 1980-81 the team competed as the Combined Islands in first-class cricket, along with the best cricketers from the Windward Islands. However, when regular one-day competitions began in 1975-76 the island groups were separate, and the Leeward Islands won on their third outing in 1977-78.

In 1981-82 the Leeward Islands made their debut in the Shell Shield with a 57-run win over the Windward Islands (the season after the Combined Islands had won the title), but it was to take eight seasons until they could lift the first-class trophy - which by then had been renamed the Red Stripe Cup. From 1989-90 to 1997-98, however, the Leeward Islands won five first-class titles (one shared) and four one-day titles (one shared), but since then they have failed to win any major trophy in the West Indies.

2005-06 squad

Roll of honour

* Domestic first-class competition winners: 1989-90, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1997-98 (shared)
* Domestic one-day competition winners: 1977-78 (shared), 1981-82, 1992-93 (shared), 1993-94, 1994-95, 1997-98

Grounds

The Leeward Islands play cricket on all the islands, though the only ground to have seen Test cricket (and also the ground with the most home matches, with 50 first-class games) is the Antigua Recreation Ground. However, their last match at the ARG was in January 2001, while another traditional ground, Warner Park in St Kitts, with 28 first-class games with Leeward Islands, saw its last game in January 1994, although it is currently revamped for the 2007 Cricket World Cup. In the 2004-05 season, the Leeward Islands played their home games at Salem Oval (Montserrat), Edgar Gilbert Sports Complex (St Kitts), Carib Ground (St Maarten), Addelita Cancryn Junior High School Ground (St. Thomas) and Grove Park (Nevis).

References

External links

* [http://www.cricinfo.com Cricinfo]
* [http://www.cricketarchive.com CricketArchive]
* [http://uk.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2005-06/WI_LOCAL/KFC-CUP/SQUADS/KFC-CUP_2005-06_LWD-SQUAD.html 2005-06 KFC Cup Squad] from Cricinfo
* [http://www.windiescricket.com/island.asp?id=553 Leeward Islands Cricket - Info from West Indies Cricket Board]